MotoGP

Grand Prix motorcycles are purpose-built racing machines unavailable for public purchase and unable to be ridden legally on public roads, contrasting with production-based categories such as the Superbike World Championship and the Isle of Man TT Races.

The top division was originally known as 500cc. Since 2002, the start of the four-stroke era, it has been known as MotoGP. The modern championship is divided into three official classes: MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3, all using four-stroke engines.

Giacomo Agostini is the most successful rider across all Grand Prix classes, with 15 titles and 122 race wins. Agostini also holds the premier class title record with eight championships, followed by Valentino Rossi and Marc Márquez with seven each. As of 2026, Rossi holds the record for most premier class race wins, with 89.

Since 2025, the championship is organised by Liberty Media via its subsidiary MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group, following the purchase of Dorna Sports by Liberty Media.

The commercial rights are owned by Dorna Sports, with the FIM remaining as the sport's sanctioning body. Teams are represented by the International Road Racing Teams Association (IRTA) and manufacturers by the Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers Association (MSMA). Rules and regulatory changes are decided between these four entities — FIM, Dorna, IRTA, and MSMA — forming the Grand Prix Commission, with Dorna casting a tie-breaking vote. In cases of technical modifications, the MSMA can unilaterally enact or veto changes by unanimous vote.

The first FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix was organised in 1949, featuring five separate categories: 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc, and sidecars. Harold Daniell won the first ever 500cc Grand Prix race, held at the Isle of Man TT. Through the 1950s and most of the 1960s, four-stroke engines dominated all classes.

In 1952, Ken Kavanagh won the 350cc Ulster Grand Prix to become the first Australian competitor to win a world championship Grand Prix race. Ray Amm won the 1952 350cc Nations Grand Prix to become the first African competitor to win a world championship Grand Prix race.

In 1957, Gilera, Mondial, and Moto Guzzi withdrew at the end of the season, citing increasing costs. Bob McIntyre won the longest ever Grand Prix race of 301.84 miles (485.76 km), held over 8 laps of the Isle of Man. From 1958 to 1960, MV Agusta won the constructors' and riders' championships in all four solo classes.

In 1961, the Argentine Grand Prix was the first world championship race held outside Europe. Kunimitsu Takahashi won the 1961 250cc German Grand Prix to become the first Asian competitor to win a world championship Grand Prix race. In 1963, the Japanese Grand Prix was the first world championship race held in Asia. In 1964, the United States Grand Prix was the first held in North America.

In 1966, Honda won the constructors' championship in all five solo classes. Jim Redman won Honda's first ever 500cc Grand Prix at Hockenheim, also the first win for a Japanese factory in the premier class.

In 1969, the FIM — citing high development costs for non-works teams due to rules allowing a multiplicity of cylinders and gears — brought in new rules restricting all classes to six gears and most to two cylinders (four cylinders for the 350cc and 500cc classes). This led to a mass walkout by Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha, leaving MV Agusta effectively the only works team in the sport until Yamaha returned in 1973 and Suzuki returned in 1974 with new two-stroke designs.

By the early 1970s, two-strokes completely eclipsed four-strokes in all classes. In 1971, Jack Findlay rode a Suzuki TR500 to the first ever win in the 500cc class for a two-stroke machine.

Giacomo Agostini won his seventh consecutive 500cc championship with MV Agusta in 1972. The deaths of Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini at the Italian round at Monza in 1973 caused the 250cc race to be cancelled. In 1974, the Suzuki RG 500 was the first square-four in the 500cc class, and Yamaha won the constructors' title — the first for a Japanese brand and a two-stroke in that class. In 1975, Agostini riding for Yamaha won the 500cc class, making Yamaha the first non-European brand to win the riders' championship in the premier class with a two-stroke engine.

Barry Sheene won the 500cc championship for Suzuki in 1976 and 1977. In 1978, Kenny Roberts riding for Yamaha became the first American to win the 500cc class. In 1979, Roberts led a rider revolt by threatening to form a rival race series, which broke the FIM's hegemony and led to improved safety standards and a new era of professionalism in the sport.

In 1979, Honda attempted to return the four-stroke to the top class with the NR500, but the project failed, and by 1983 Honda was winning with a two-stroke 500.

Antonio Cobas developed a stronger and lighter aluminium twin-beam chassis in 1982 to replace the steel backbone frame used since the 1950s; by the 1990s all major racing teams used the aluminium frame design. Michelin introduced radial tyres in GPs in 1984.

Freddie Spencer riding for Honda won both the 250cc and 500cc titles in 1985. Wayne Gardner riding for Honda won the 500cc class in 1987, the first Australian to do so. Wayne Rainey won the first 500cc race using carbon brakes at the British GP in 1988. Mick Doohan won his fifth consecutive 500cc title with Honda in 1998. Àlex Crivillé riding for Honda won the 500cc class in 1999, the first Spaniard to do so. Kenny Roberts Jr. riding for Suzuki won the 500cc class in 2000, joining his father Kenny Roberts to make them the only father and son to have won the 500cc championship. Valentino Rossi won his first premier class title in 2001 and became the final two-stroke champion in the premier class.

In 2002, rule changes facilitated the phasing out of 500cc two-strokes. The premier class was rebranded MotoGP, with manufacturers choosing between two-stroke engines up to 500cc or four-strokes up to 990cc. By 2003, no two-stroke machines remained in the MotoGP field. Ducati made its Grand Prix debut in the new four-stroke MotoGP class in 2003. Daijiro Kato was killed during the Japanese Grand Prix in 2003 on the Suzuka Circuit, hitting the barrier at 130R just before the final chicane.

Valentino Rossi won his fifth consecutive MotoGP title in 2005. In 2007, MotoGP engine capacity was restricted to 800cc four-stroke. Ducati won the riders' championship with Casey Stoner and also the constructors' title, becoming the first European brand to do so in the premier class in 30 years; Stoner won 10 of 17 races during the season. MotoGP ran its first night race in Qatar in 2008. Valentino Rossi won his seventh and last MotoGP title at the age of 30 in 2009.

Moto2 replaced the 250cc class in 2010. Moto2 rider Shoya Tomizawa was killed at Misano in 2010. MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli was killed at Sepang in 2011. The Moto3 250cc four-stroke single-cylinder class replaced the 125cc two-stroke class in 2012. In the same year, MotoGP raised the maximum engine capacity to 1,000cc and introduced Claiming Rule Teams (CRT).

Marc Márquez became the first rookie to win the championship in the MotoGP era in 2013, and the youngest ever premier class world champion. Márquez dominated the 2014 season, winning the first 10 races. Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo won his third and final MotoGP title by five points in 2015, defeating his teammate Valentino Rossi. Michelin returned as tyre supplier in 2016 after Bridgestone's withdrawal. Luis Salom was killed during Moto2 practice at the Catalan Grand Prix in 2016.

KTM joined the premier class with a factory-supported team for the first time in 2017. In 2019, Triumph Motorcycles replaced Honda as sole Moto2 engine supplier, providing 765cc triples based on the Street Triple RS 765. Marc Márquez won his sixth MotoGP title in 2019 at the age of 26, becoming the youngest rider and the first non-Italian rider to do so.

The first half of the 2020 season was postponed or cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira became the first riders to win a premier class Grand Prix for their respective nations, South Africa and Portugal, and achieved the first wins for KTM and Tech3 in the MotoGP class. Joan Mir became MotoGP World Champion in 2020, Suzuki's first since 2000.

Moto3 rider Jason Dupasquier was killed after an accident during qualifying at the Italian Grand Prix on the Mugello Circuit in 2021. Valentino Rossi confirmed his retirement before the Austrian round in 2021; he was the last rider to have competed in the 500cc class to participate in a MotoGP race. Fabio Quartararo became MotoGP World Champion in 2021, the first French rider to win a premier class championship.

Francesco Bagnaia became MotoGP World Champion in 2022, the first Italian rider to win a premier class championship since Valentino Rossi in 2009, and the first Ducati rider since Casey Stoner in 2007. Sprint races were introduced at all Grands Prix in 2023. Brad Binder reached 366.1 km/h on his KTM RC16 at the Italian GP in 2023, the new top speed record in the premier class. Jorge Martín became MotoGP World Champion in 2024, the first independent team rider to win the World Championship in the MotoGP class.

In 2025, Dorna Sports was bought by Liberty Media, owner of Formula One. Marc Márquez became MotoGP World Champion for the seventh time; his 2184-day drought between titles was the longest in history. Marc and Álex Márquez became the first brothers to finish 1st and 2nd in a championship in Grand Prix motorcycle racing history. Diogo Moreira became Moto2 World Champion in 2025, the first Brazilian rider to win a World Championship in Grand Prix motorcycle racing history.

From 2027, new regulations will see engine displacement drop to 850cc, ride-height and holeshot devices banned, and aerodynamics reduced. All motorcycles will use 100% sustainable fuel, up from the 40% sustainable fuel used since 2024.

At the start of the new MotoGP era in 2002, 500cc two-stroke or 990cc four-stroke bikes were specified. The four-stroke's displacement advantage meant no two-stroke bikes were racing by the following season. In 2007, the maximum engine capacity was reduced to 800cc. In 2012, engine displacement was increased to 1,000cc with a maximum of four cylinders and a maximum bore capped at 81 mm. The top speed in the history of MotoGP is 366.1 km/h (227.5 mph), set by Brad Binder and Pol Espargaró at Mugello Circuit, both on a KTM RC16.

Moto2 was introduced in 2010 as a 600cc four-stroke class, with engines supplied exclusively by Honda. In 2019, Triumph replaced Honda as the sole supplier; the Triumph engine is 765cc with three cylinders, contrasting with the previous Honda's 600cc inline four. In 2024, Pirelli became the sole tyre supplier in Moto2 and Moto3, replacing Dunlop.

The 125cc class was replaced in 2012 by the Moto3 class, restricted to single-cylinder 250cc four-stroke engines with a maximum bore of 81 mm. The minimum total weight for motorcycle and rider is 148 kg (326 lb). Starting in the 2023 season, the FIM set a minimum rider age of 18 following a series of incidents involving fatalities in lower classes.

Each race is a 45-minute sprint completed without fuel or tyre stops. Grid positions are determined by qualifying speeds with the fastest rider at pole position. In 2005, a flag-to-flag rule was introduced allowing riders to pit and switch to a motorcycle fitted with wet-weather tyres if rain falls mid-race. In 2023, sprint races were introduced on the Saturday of each race weekend, with points worth approximately half those of a full Grand Prix.

The 2026 MotoGP World Championship consists of 22 circuits, including venues in Thailand (Buriram, Chang International Circuit), Brazil (Goiânia, Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna), the United States (Austin, Circuit of the Americas), Italy (Scarperia e San Piero, Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello), the Netherlands (Assen, TT Circuit Assen), Austria (Spielberg, Red Bull Ring), Japan (Motegi, Mobility Resort Motegi), Malaysia (Sepang, Petronas Sepang International Circuit), and Qatar (Lusail, Lusail International Circuit).

This article is based solely on the supplied corpus. No external sources were consulted; claims that could not be substantiated against the corpus were omitted under the drop-the-claim rule.